


To Be So Free

by BornToFly02



Series: A Robin By Any Other Name [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Female Dick Grayson, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Dick Grayson, Haly's Circus, Romani Dick Grayson, Supportive Bruce Wayne, The Flying Graysons - Freeform, Trans Male Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:06:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornToFly02/pseuds/BornToFly02
Summary: Growing up, John and Mary Grayson's little Robin never learned what was so important about being one gender or another. Never learned what was so wrong about being both.They never understood why it was seen as wrong to be so free.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Series: A Robin By Any Other Name [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905958
Comments: 10
Kudos: 205





	To Be So Free

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I myself am not gender fluid. Though many friends of mine are trans, I in no way claim to be accurate in these descriptions and encourage people to comment to correct any mistakes I may make when writing this character.
> 
> Also, I did more research into the Romani culture (see my notes in Sticks and Stones) this time towards traditional Romani funerals. Below is a link to the blog article I used. Again, I am not a member of that culture and invite anyone to correct me if I get things wrong.
> 
> Link to Romani Funeral Traditions info:  
> https://blog.sevenponds.com/cultural-perspectives/fearing-the-return-of-the-dead-in-gypsy-burial-traditions#:~:text=Gypsy%20funeral%20traditions%20are%20characterized%20by%20abundance.&text=Until%20the%20funeral%2C%20family%20members,%2C%20mourning%20becomes%20all%2Dconsuming.

Growing up in the Circus, meant less rules to follow than the rest of the world. Everyone there specialized in the strange and fantastic so when the child of Mary and John Grayson didn’t really fit into conventional gender roles, no one cared. Born Ricarda “Dixie” Mary Grayson, sometimes it would be Richard “Dick” John Grayson who would be racing around the big top with their older cousin, Johnny.

Almost as soon as they could talk, Mary and John were told that their daughter was sometimes a boy. One day Dick asked to have his hair cut short so they brought him to a hairdresser in the city they were in at the time and got it cut nice and short.

Some days Dick would run around, playing with Zitka in her pen. Riding on her back, sliding down her trunk. Others, Dixie would borrow a wig from Madam Valencia, the psychic, and use her mother’s makeup with a skill unusual for her age.

Then came the fall.

Down

Down

Down

And their life changed.

In Juvie, they were put with the girls because of what was in their pants. It didn’t matter that some days they were Dick, the guards heard his broken protests that he struggled to express despite the fact that he knew very little English and scoffed, beating him for being ‘unnatural’. When they were Dixie, the other girls made fun of her for her short hair.

One of the nicer older girls, Jade, told them that they were just a 'tomboy', girl who liked to wear boy clothes, but that didn’t feel right. Dixie didn’t know how to explain to the older girl who was putting braids in her hair but some days she was a boy. Not dressing like a boy. Jade didn’t seem to understand but she didn’t push it either.

It was at least half a month before they were let out for the funeral. He was Dick that day. Named after his uncle Rick who was still in a coma, and his father who was going in the ground. The guards gave Dick a dress to wear and his skin crawled as he slipped it onto his thin, battered body. Jim Gordon picked him up and the man had to hold in his cries of outrage. The child made a pitiful sight, their naturally darker skin holding an unhealthy pallor, dark bags under their eyes. The dress hung loosely from their shoulders.

Dick got silently into the back of the car. As soon as it started moving, he tugged violently at the fancy clips in his hair and brushed out the braids with his fingers. He felt a burning in his chest as he looked down at his lap. Seeing the black that western culture determined was the colour of mourning rather than the red or white that was often worn by the Romani people to represent vitality and purity at funerals made him so mad it hurt, only made worse by the dress he was forced to wear.

Jim looked at the child in the rear view mirror with a frown as they pushed their hair back out of their face, making it look more boyish. He remembered meeting the child on that night and how he'd thought it was a boy until they got to the station where a medical check showed that it was little Ricarda Grayson.

When they arrived, everyone from the circus as well as a slew of old friends from other acts they'd met over the years were waiting. Haly had two sets of red clothes in hand and as soon as Dick saw that he nearly burst into tears, quickly accepting the old red suit to change into. A few women held up blankets for him to change behind and he soon felt much more comfortable. The suit was a bit big on his gaunt frame but it was the right colour for this.

Bruce Wayne watched this, making a mental note. This child reminded him so much of himself. Perhaps he would ended up like this, tossed away and alone, if it weren't for his family's money and Alfred. It was for this reason that he wanted to take them in. He wouldn't let the last Grayson be swept under the rug, forgotten.

He noted that the child was seemingly transgender before following the procession. He lingered to the side, not wanting to intrude too much. He heard the small mutters of guilt and remorse sent towards the coffins and saw the abundance of red and white clothing worn instead of the typical black.

Dick walked right next to his parents' coffin and whispered his apologies and accepted the bags of herbs Madam Valencia had made for the rituals.

He spoke rapid Romani, his voice hoarse from withheld tears and a lack of use. He could hardly speak any English and no one had put much effort in teaching him so he usually didn't speak much.

After the fact, Dick approached Bruce and Jim.

"Thank you. For the- the-" Dick struggled to find the right word in English.

As the boy's face started to grow warm from frustration and embarrassment, Bruce knelt down so that he could look the child in the eye.

"It was the least I could do."

Dick let out a sob and fell into the man's arms.

Bruce was only in his mid-twenties but at that moment, holding the skeletal figure close as it shook with grief, he swore to protect the last Grayson with all that he had.

* * *

No matter how much money Bruce Wayne had to throw around, it still took almost a whole month after the funeral before Dixie was released into his custody.

The girl ran to his side, recognizing him from the funeral. Jade had been gone by the time she'd returned and with her, the only tentative friendship Dixie had in Juvie.

As the pair got into the car and Alfred started driving, Dixie turned to Bruce.

"You not... send me back?"

"You don't have to worry. You never have to go back there again."

Dixie gave him a bright smile which he returned. It was a tad stiff but Dixie either didn't notice or chose not to mention it.

"Now, I want you to be as comfortable as possible. On your birth certificate it says your name is Ricarda Grayson, is that the name you're... comfortable with?"

She bit her lip and looked down at her shoes.

"Umm... Dixie work too sometime." She said hesitantly, her accent a bit thicker. "Other days... Richard. D-dick Grayson."

Bruce was surprised and resolved to look up terminology later but for now this child was avoiding his gaze.

"And which name are you using today?"

Bright blue eyes shot to him, full of confusion and heartbreaking hope.

When she was sure he wasn't about to turn on her, she smiled a little.

"Dixie."

Bruce smiled warmly back at her.

"Well then Dixie, let's go home."

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to use the link above to look into the Romani culture more and you can research that and gender fluidity on your own terms. After all, learning can be fun!


End file.
